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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · leaves · bay · swing · suit · stock · ball · net

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. ball — a dance
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. suit — to fit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. suit — in cards
  11. net — after costs
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. net — for catching
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stock — goods
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. net — in sport
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. swing — to play on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com